Need to Know Notationwith

Kathy Maskell and Shana Kirk

National Conference on KeyboardPedagogy

August 1, 2007

Kathy Maskell

Kathy Maskell is owner, artistic director andpiano instructor at MusicWorks, Inc., a multi-teacher studio in Tewksbury, MA.

Kathy is currently immediate past president ofMassachusetts Music Teachers Association anda member of the American Guild of Organistsand the Tewksbury Business Association.

Kathy recently retired from her position asorganist at Old Cambridge Babtist Church,Harvard Square.

Kathy regularly uses notation software forarranging church music and original works, aswell as for preparing student materials

Visit Kathy’s studio website atwww.musicworks-studio.com

Shana Kirk

Shana Kirk got her start with music technology asthe first student in her college music program toturn in theory homework using Finale (version2.5.1 in 1990!).

Shana is also active as a writer, with music andmusic-technology based articles appearing insuch publications as Keyboard Companion andAmerican Music Teacher.

Shana has toured nationally as a performer andclinician for the Yamaha Corporation of Americasince 2000, and in 2002, Shana also joined thecreative team at Time Warp Technologies, themakers of HomeConcert Xtreme score-followingsoftware.

Shana’s most recent work with notation softwareincluded creating the scores for all the theorytests in Colorado State Music Teachers’Association’s Achievement Day program.

What do you really NEED to dowith your notation software? Create technique or exercise sheets Make worksheets and quizzes Print your or your students’ compositions

Getting Started

Configure your studio so that everything“speaks” to each other: computers, keyboards,other modules.

Finale: Use the “MIDI Setup” menu Sibelius: Preferences: Input Select

Creating a Document

For whole pages of music, use a template orwizard to get the right staff, instrumentation,etc.

For worksheets Sibelius also offers“worksheet creator”

Getting Your Music onto the Page

Simple note entry (does not require MIDIkeyboard)

Step entry (one note or chord at a time) Best for simple compositions, exercises Requires little or no editing

Real-time entry MUST be able to play to a metronome Set a split point for a Grand Staff score Often requires cleaning up

(Scan to score)

Simple Note Entry (Finale)

Click on note value Click note placement on

the score Use arrows or mouse to

advance to newmeasure

Step Entry (Sibelius)

Select rest Type “N” Choose value on

keypad Play until note value

changes…OR Alphabetical input

“Speedy” Entry (Finale)

For single-note entrywith a MIDI keyboard

Play the desired note orchord on keyboard

Choose numbers onQWERTY keyboard toselect rhythmic value

Press number key withno note for theequivalent rest

Entering Notes with Speedy Note

1=64th2=32nd3=16th4=quarter5=half6=wholeEtc……

Real Time Entry (Sibelius)

“Flexi-time” Select bar (Light blue

box) Set metronome in

playback Click record Play away Tap spacebar to stop

Real Time Entry (Finale)

“Hyperscribe” Select bar (box around

selected bar) Set metronome in playback Click record Play away Click the stop button to stop

Fine Tuning (Sibelius)

Dynamics Ctrl+E; type mp

Page breaks Layout menu

Meter Changes Create Menu

Key Changes Create menu

Fine Tuning (Finale)

Expressive markings Choose “expression tool” from the “toolbox” Select a dynamic marking, expression, etc.

Page breaks “Page Layout” tool allows unlimited placement of

staves Meter Changes

Choose “Signature” tool, then specify the length of thechange (only for a certain range of measures, etc.)

Key Changes “Key Signature” tool, then specify range of measures

Worksheets (Sibelius)

Music tests, quizzes

Worksheets (Finale) Must use exported

graphics in a wordprocessing or otherdocument

Use the Graphics Toolfor musical examples Double-click and drag

for the area you wantto export

Choose characters fromthe music fonts inordinary wordprocessing

Applications

Resources

Finale, Allegro, PrintMusic, and Notepaddemos and downloads atwww.makemusic.com

Sibelius demos and downloads atwww.Sibelius.com